What did Magnus mean by that?
That was the problem—it was difficult to put into words. It was that very struggle that had made him hesitate in the first place. In this vast emptiness, a void known as the Liminal Veil, there was no real sense of direction—only what felt relative to them.
But when Magnus looked up, he saw exactly what he had told Lazitha.
If this void had a sky, then it had been replaced with a view of the world. It was like looking through an enormous, slightly curved glass pane. The 'glass' had a faint luminescence, casting a soft glow that contrasted with the overwhelming darkness. Beyond it, the world stretched out in a distorted, fish-eyed view, making the pane seem impossibly vast yet oddly minuscule at the same time. It was as if every layer of the physical world had been unfolded and stacked into the same space.
He saw the open blue sky and drifting clouds—yet at the same time, he saw nothing but rock and packed earth buried deep underground. Colors and materials he recognized from Takerth Academy were interwoven throughout, some more distinct than others. Everything was there, all at once. The world overlapped itself, its layers twisting and folding over one another in ways that defied geography and logic.
He could see it all, yet it was overwhelming to even try to process it.
It made no sense.
"Oh, well, that's unexpected. You're telling me you can actually see the world itself?" Lazitha's voice pulled Magnus away from the dizzying view above. There was a hint of surprise in her tone, tinged with curiosity.
"Yes... can't you?" Magnus asked, pointing toward the strange vision hanging above them like an endless yet somehow finite orb.
Lazitha glanced up but only to shake her head.
"No. Vision doesn't exactly work in the Veil—at least, not while teleporting. There's no light here, so there's nothing to perceive. What we 'see' is just our senses trying to interpret whatever exists beyond us into something comprehensible. That's why everyone experiences the Liminal Veil differently." Magnus blinked, caught off guard.
So... no one else can see what I'm seeing?
Standing up from the platform, he resisted the urge to look up again. The more he stared, the more disoriented he felt, like he was about to lose his balance and tumble into infinity.
His eyes met Luden's briefly. In turn, Luden looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"For me, I see a ring—or I guess you could call it a halo. It's incredibly bright and hard to focus on for long, but depending on where I direct my attention, I can make out things inside it. They look trapped, stretched, and elongated."
Lazitha nodded before adding her own experience.
"As for me, it's like a shattered image made of glass. To see anything clearly, I have to piece it together, like solving a puzzle." Nithra, as reluctant as ever to engage in conversation, didn't say what she saw. But she didn't need to—Lazitha answered for her.
"Nithra sees the world as a flame, constantly shifting and burning in the void. For her, the only way to make sense of it is to focus on the center, where the fire burns at its core." After listening to everyone's perspectives, Magnus realized that, despite how strange his own view was, it was probably the most straightforward and complete. Lazitha seemed to notice as well.
"How someone perceives the world here depends on how well their mind can interpret it," she explained.
"That's why I was surprised you could just see everything outright. It seems you have a natural talent for navigating the Liminal Veil." There was genuine praise in her voice—what Magnus had was a rare and useful trait for teleportation.
"She's right," Luden agreed.
"When I first saw all of this, I collapsed and blacked out. Nithra, on the other hand..." He trailed off as Nithra shot him a sharp look that made it clear he should stop talking. With a shrug, he relented, choosing not to reveal whatever had happened when she first saw her own version of the world. Though, given her reaction, Magnus could only assume it hadn't gone well.
"In any case, compared to us, your reaction—freaking out a little and falling—was pretty tame," Luden concluded.
"Huh. I guess I'm just… adaptable," Magnus muttered. His voice and posture had settled, far calmer than before. If he was being honest, the initial shock hadn't come from what he was seeing. After all, he had already witnessed something deeper—the source code of reality itself, or what he believed to be the most fundamental layer of existence—when the Nullfang's glitch had spiraled out of control. Compared to that, this view, while overwhelming, wasn't nearly as incomprehensible.
No, what had thrown him off was the sheer flood of sensory information hitting him all at once.
But as he'd told Luden, he was adaptable.
"Still, I've got a lot of questions," he admitted.
"Like... how are we even breathing out here? How are we surviving in a void? And what does any of this have to do with teleportation? That part still isn't making sense to me." All of them were genuine questions. Sure, he could just write it off as magic, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted answers—not just to satisfy his curiosity, but because he wondered if this knowledge could be useful. If he could understand it, maybe he could use it to assist in enhancing his abilities in the future.
"All of those are perfectly reasonable questions, but they're hard to answer until you master teleportation yourself," Lazitha said.
"But I can help answer one of them, the question of how this connects to teleportation. It's quite simple." The platform beneath them began to move. Magnus felt it immediately. Before, they had been motionless—at least in relation to the world above—but now, they were shifting. Slowly at first, but the acceleration steadily built, and he felt a distinct pull as if something were drawing him back toward the world.
"Things that leave the world can't remain separated from it for long," Lazitha explained.
"The world naturally pulls back anything that was once part of it. The only way to delay that is through anchoring magic. I just removed our anchor, so now we're returning." As she spoke, their speed increased rapidly, making it look like they were about to crash straight into the world. But just as Magnus blinked, the impact never came.
They were back.
Standing once more in the private training chamber, exactly where they had been before.
Lazitha took a step forward and turned to face the group.
"Magnus, you said this didn't feel like teleportation, but in truth, this is what every mage experiences when using the spell. Separating from the world also means separating from its time. From an outside perspective, it happens in an instant, but for those teleporting, it can feel like minutes—sometimes even longer, depending on how long they anchor themselves. Of course, there's also the issue of navigation—making sure you don't rematerialize inside a wall—but that's not the focus of today's lesson." With a snap of her fingers, three wooden tables appeared in the center of the chamber, each holding an apple on top.
"Today's lesson is simple," she continued.
"Teleportation involves multiple processes, so for now, your task is to pierce a hole into space and send the apple through it. Then, let it return naturally. Luden and Nithra, you're both already familiar with the spell, so this should be easy for you."
Her gaze shifted to Magnus.
"As for you, I'll teach you the spell and demonstrate it personally so you can try casting it. Don't feel pressured to keep up with the others."
"Right," Magnus said with a nod. His eyes flickered slightly the moment she mentioned the word demonstrate.
Right now, my Magic Simulation Space can only replicate mana formations for spells that create visible phenomena. That's why I know so many forms of elementrix magic—transmuting condensed mana into different elements. But for things like spatial magic, it's more so just raw manipulation... I'm not actually warping space with mana. The Command Console is doing it for me, based on how I visualize it. If I could one day see or sense mana like other mages do—outside of its condensed form—that might change. But for now, watching someone use teleportation is the only way I can replicate it.
It wasn't necessarily a disadvantage. In fact, it could even be seen as an advantage. The Command Console's ability to warp space was undoubtedly more potent than any form of magic. But at the same time, the more he pretended to be a mage, the more obvious the oddities of his abilities became to anyone paying close attention. As for how his version of teleportation would compare to a mage's... he had no idea.
"Alright, move to your stations," Lazitha instructed.
Magnus, Luden, and Nithra each picked a table and stood in front of it. Luden and Nithra didn't need any instructions—they had already begun casting the teleportation spell, seamlessly preparing its initial steps.
Magnus observed them closely, starting with Nithra. Unlike during the earlier demonstration, where she had limited herself to Apprentice-level casting, this time the spell activated within seconds. The space around the apple contorted violently for a brief moment before snapping back, like a stretched rubber band releasing. In an instant, the apple was gone—swallowed up as if it had never existed. Only fragments of condensed mana fluttered in the air where it had been, slowly fading away.
Luden's approach was different. Compared to Nithra, his casting was slower, but the process was far more controlled and precise.
Just like before, space bent for a moment, and then the apple vanished. But unlike Nithra's, Luden's spell left behind far fewer residual mana particles.
"What do you notice?" Lazitha asked as she stepped up to Magnus's table, following his gaze toward Luden and Nithra.
"Huh?" Magnus turned toward her, processing his thoughts.
"Well… It feels like they leave behind traces—residue, in a way," he mused.
"When I've seen Master-level mages use teleportation, it's always extremely smooth. I don't see any warping, no flashes of light, and no leftover particles. It just feels..."
"Immediate?" Lazitha offered.
Magnus nodded. That was the best way to describe it.
"It's a matter of mastery," she explained.
"Teleportation requires condensing mana into a dense, complex structure capable of piercing space. It's a delicate process, relying on both mana control and reserves. The faster the formation is completed—and the less time the spirits have to break it down—the cleaner and more instantaneous the spell becomes." As she spoke, Magnus noticed Nithra's apple suddenly reappearing on her table, landing in the exact spot where it had vanished. Since it hadn't been anchored or directed elsewhere, it had naturally returned to its point of origin.
A few seconds later, Luden's apple did the same.
Neither of them resumed casting right away, both seemingly lost in thought, contemplating ways to refine their technique.
"Now," Lazitha said, turning to Magnus, "I'm going to cast this slowly so you can follow along. Let me know if you need help forming the mana structure."
Before she could start, Magnus raised a hand.
"Actually... could you do it at your normal speed?"
She paused, blinking at him.
"Hmm? You don't want me to slow down?"
Magnus nodded.
"I pick up magic best when I see it in action a few times. I haven't been able to grasp teleportation yet, but I think if I watch it enough, I can figure it out... if you're willing, of course." Lazitha didn't respond immediately. His request caught her off guard. Being able to replicate a spell just by watching. It wasn't just rare—it was something only Master-level mages could typically do, and even they had limitations.
But then again... he's already considered Pseudo-Master level under that persona of his. If anything, this would explain how he improves so quickly. It would also make sense of how he seemingly mastered the Mana Sphere Spell after only studying it for a few hours.
After a brief moment of consideration, she sighed.
"Alright. If you say so. Just let me know when you've seen enough." And so, Lazitha began demonstrating the spell at full speed. As Luden and Nithra continued refining their teleportation sequences over the next hour, Magnus stood still, watching. Over and over, he observed the apple disappearing into thin air, only to reappear a moment later.
It was different from anything else he had studied. Unlike elemental magic, where he could visualize mana condensing and transforming into fire, water, or other elements, teleportation just happened. There was nothing to animate in his mind—no gradual change, no process to follow. The apple was there one moment and gone the next.
It was a challenge to wrap his head around.
Fortunately, a Master-level mage wouldn't exhaust their mana from repeated teleportation, so Lazitha had no trouble continuing the demonstrations. However, she remained doubtful that this method would help Magnus. She hadn't even shown him the mana formation yet.
But then—on what had to be the sixtieth or seventieth teleportation—Magnus finally spoke.
"I think I understand it now." His sudden announcement caught Lazitha off guard. She barely had time to react before the apple she had just teleported reappeared.
"Already?" Lazitha said, surprise evident in her voice. She had been teaching Luden and Nithra this teleportation spell for days. Their current abilities were the result of multiple lessons, rigorous practice, and the fact that they were both prodigies.
But Magnus didn't answer.
Instead, he picked up the apple from the table, turning it over in his hand. He studied it closely, committing every detail to memory with meticulous precision. Thanks to his heightened memory, the process only took a few seconds—especially given how small the apple was.
Once he had every feature locked in his mind, he visualized it.
And then, he tried to execute it.
For a moment, his mind sat in a place of doubt; however, that doubt vanished as visualization was accepted. Instantly, lines of code surged through the Command Console. At that very moment, the apple in Magnus's hand vanished—disappearing just as it had when Lazitha teleported it.
Luden and Nithra were too focused on their own attempts and contemplations to notice, but Lazitha, standing directly in front of Magnus, caught it immediately. Her various forms of sensory magic were always active, constantly monitoring the world around her. Yet, when the apple disappeared from his hand, she felt nothing.
No warping of space.
No mana buildup.
Just absence.
"What..." She muttered, frowning as her mind scrambled to process what she had just witnessed. Meanwhile, Magnus's face lit up. He had done it—successfully teleported something for the first time.
Now, I just have to bring it back, right?
Without moving his hand, he visualized the same process in reverse—the apple returning to where it had been. Having already completed the process once, the second time was even faster. The Command Console accepted and executed the command effortlessly.
And just as suddenly as it had vanished, the apple reappeared.
"Holy shit... I did it!" Magnus exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. His grip on the apple tightened as he turned to Lazitha—only to find her staring at him with an intense, scrutinizing expression.
"Huh? Something wrong?" His excitement dulled as he noticed her reaction.
Lazitha's eyes flickered between him and the apple before she finally spoke. "How did you-"
[Don't say anything.]
Before she could finish, a voice—one she recognized—echoed in her mind. The words weren't her own, they belonged to a telepathic message, causing her to pause. Someone else was speaking to her. The communication lasted only a few seconds, but from Magnus's perspective, it looked as if Lazitha had suddenly stopped mid-sentence and gone silent. When the mental link finally broke, Lazitha took a slow breath before shifting her expression into a smile.
"Congratulations, Magnus. You learned that faster than... well, anyone I've ever met. Let alone taught."
"Oh, well… I was just feeling it out, really. Can't say I did anything special," Magnus replied, trying to play it off.
"Whatever the case, you clearly have a knack for teleportation. I can't even point out any flaws or give you any critiques, so why don't you keep practicing while I check on the other two?" Magnus nodded, though he couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Lazitha's demeanor. As she walked away, heading toward Luden and Nithra, he mulled it over.
Maybe I should've held off a bit longer. Acted like I couldn't do it right away? Hmm... oh well. Too late for regrets. At least I finally unlocked teleportation!
His exhilaration surged again at the mere thought, and he decided to try a few more times. Turning back to the apple in his hand, he noticed it had bruises from when he had gripped it too tightly earlier. No matter—he quickly memorized the bruises' exact placement before attempting the teleportation again. With a thought, the apple disappeared. Another thought, another visualization, and it reappeared.
It seemed to flicker in and out of existence.
Wow, this is a lot easier than I thought. Now that I've got the hang of it, I can already see the possibilities.Just imagine all the things we can do with teleportation, Basker. All the new abilities this opens up.
But Basker's reply made Magnus freeze.
[Master, upon inspection, I don't believe you've accomplished what you think you have.]
What? What are you talking about?
Magnus frowned, confused.
[Look at the apple.]
That simple request made Magnus focus on the apple in his hand. At first, he didn't know what he was looking for—until he noticed it. The bruises were gone.
[Master, when you visualized the apple reappearing, you inadvertently used the image of the non-bruised apple instead of the bruised one.]
I did?Shit... wait, so where did this apple come from? Did I just accidentally teleport an apple from somewhere else?
[No, Master, I don't believe so. In fact, I don't think you've been teleporting anything at all. The Command Console is extremely straightforward—it doesn't do any work beyond what it needs to. It doesn't interpret things outside your visualizations. So, I believe you haven't been teleporting these apples at all.]
Magnus's expression slowly shifted as the realization dawned on him.
Wait... are you saying that I've been...
[I believe so, Master. Instead of teleporting, I think you've been inadvertently making the apples disappear and then bringing them back. In other words, you've been deleting them and creating a perfect replica in their place.]